PRAYA - As many as four world-class companies are competing in a tender for duty free retailers which will be assigned to open outlets in four international airports of Angkasa Pura Airports. The four companies are, Dewata Agung Wibawa Plaza, Inti Dufree Promosindo Bali, Forcune Internasional, and one Indonesian local company.
The first company, Dewata Agung Wibawa Plaza in cooperation with Heinemann - is a Germany company which has outlets in all airports in the world, including in Djuanda Surabaya Airport, Indonesia. This duty free trader also has a branch office in Singapore.
The other companies are Inti Dufree Promosindo Bali, cooperating with DFS shop from Hong Kong, and a French company, Forcune Internasional, and an Indonesian local company that manages duty free in Soekarno Hatta Jakarta Airport. "They are now in the selection process from the total of seven companies that participated in this tender," said the Head of Business Planning and Development Department of PT AP Headquarter, Eko Wibowo, yesterday. Three participants were eliminated due to lack of administrative requirements and some withdrew from the tender for various reasons.
"At this time, these four companies are in process of preparing their business concept and offering their bid price. Eventually there will only be one duty free retail company," he said. The winner, he explained, will manage the duty free shop at Sultan Hasanuddin Makassar International Airport, Sepinggan Balikpapan, Sam Ratulangi Manado, and Lombok International Airport (BIL). The duty free shops or shops selling tax-free goods will be located at the international departure area.
"We are not looking for the highest or lowest bidding price. Yet, more to their product qualities," he described. The implementation or follow-up meeting of this headquarters’ policy, Eko said, was held at BIL as the coordinator of the three duty-free retailers at the other international airports. BIL was chosen as the venue since Lombok Island is a magnet for foreign tourists, offering abundant natural resources as a tourist attraction.
"They are required to submit their tender documents by 11 July. Then there will be an evaluation and field survey," he added. The winning company will manage duty free shops at those four airports. "From the survey results in BIL, many international passengers require duty free shops or world-class tax-free goods sold at the international departure area," added the Head of Sales Department of PT BIL, Djon Harry. He said that the duty free shops can directly have an impact towards improvement of the service performance in an airport, especially in providing full range services in the airport facilities and supporting infrastructures. "Our Lombok airport has enormous potential. Even our headquarters acknowledges this great potential," he stated. (Pardika Dewi RS/Source: Lombok Post)
